NATIONAL COOPERATIVE UNDERGRADUATE CHEMICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM ETHALINE CORTELYOU A m o u r Research Foundation, Chicago, Illinois W. P. CORTELYOU Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois
THE
National Cooperative Vndergraduate Chemiral Research Program (NaCUR) was organized a t the 1948 Fall Meeting of the Ameriran Chemical Society in St. Louis to stimulate undergraduate research interests and to sunnlv " some data missinv from the chemical literature. To some extent, XaCUR is now international in scope with the listing of a project by a teacher in Israel and the participation of students in foreign lands in a t least one project. Also, it has now become apparent that it is serving two additional purposes: encouraging teachers in small schools to revive their research interests and offering industry opportuuities to cooperate vith colleges in interesting students in chemical rareers. This excerpt from a letter is being quoted hecause it lists so many of the benefits gratefully enumerated by other teachers in small colleges where heavy teaching loads, few chemistry majors, and limited funds have previously discouraged attempts a t student research: .A
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Two seniors are working on the project. Not too much progress has been made as yet in terms of actual la.horatory work, hut the project is proving to be a real educational experience for the eirln. Thev have learned somethine of how to do a literature searyh. had the"aooortunitv to trv out their "scientifia" German. they obtain in the laborstory. We are all convinced of the value of projects of this type. One of the girls has become ao interested in nucleophilie substitution that she plans to go on to graduate school to work in this field She has applied for a junior Fulbright for Australia where a lot of work of this type is heing done, but, if she is not a recipient, she will continue her work in this country.
The following projects for the 1957-58 school year are listed according to the usual outline: (a) Typical unit assi~ument
ti) ~ i n i m u mstudeut prerequisite ( e ) Name and address of director. ANALYTICAL PROJECTS 1. Quantired Qualitative Anal?,si.q: a New Approach to Systen:. atic Qualitatzue Analysis (a) Determine the number of milligrams (in solution) of each of a group of cations required t o give a. cheraeteristic reaction with 1.0 ml. of each of several different reagent solutions under specified conditions. ( b ) Twenty-four small reagent battles (30-100 ml.) with droppers in the stoppers, or any convenient means of counting tho drops of solutions used. ( e ) Salts to prepare the cation solutions. Sometimes special organic reagents.
(d) Completion of a course in systematic qualitative analgsis. ( e ) W. P. Cortelyon, Roosevelt University, Chicago 5, Illinois. 2. The Imporlance of Some Simple Quantitative Techniques and Errors (a) Single deflection weighing. (b) Usual instruments and equipment necdcd far gravimetric quantitative anal,vsis. (c) Quantitative analy~is. ( e ) Ethalino Cortel,vou, Armour Research Foundation of Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago 16, Illinois. 3. Classification of Cations Rased on Qualitative Chromatographic Sepa;ation by Meem of peelf fie Solvents fa) Determine the R, values for a e r o u ~of cations emnlor. ing as salven& speoified mixtures of two alcohols diluted with (a) water and (b) acetic arid. Keep temperature, cation concentration, and development time constant. ( b ) Sheets and rolls of Whatman filter paper p r q w e d for paper chromatography. Wide-mouthed jars or bottles, 12-15 in. tall. are useful. ( c ) Salts t o prepare cations. Solvent solutions, e.g., acetir acid, sulfuric acid, butanol, inopropsnol, and other. alcohols, if desired. (d) General chemistry and same qualitative analysis. ( e ) Sister Mary Alice, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Mount St. Mary's College, Los Angeles 48, California. 4. The Development of Quantitative Voltcmetrie Determination of Paint Pigment Castituents (a) Comparison of five as~ignedinternal indicators for the titration of zinc. ( c ) Special indicators =signed.' (d) Quantitative analysis. ( e ) Clovis Adams, The Sherwin-Willisms Company, 115th Street and Cottage Grave Avenue, Chirago, Illinois. 5. The Detection of Ions by Differerential Diffusion (a) To devise methods for detecting the presence of anions and cations by their different rates of diffusion in gelatinous media, snrh as concentrated gel8 of gel%tine or polyaleohols. ( b ) Petri dishes, watch glasses, and reagent bottles with droppers in the stoppers. (e) Salts to prepare ionic solutions and d e d o p e r s ; also organic reagents. (d) General chemistry and qualitative analysis. ( e ) Marvin Antelman, Illonssnto Chemical Company, Creve Couer, St. Louis, Missouri.
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GENEFtAL CHEMICAL PROJECTS 6.
Solubilities of Inorganic Suljamates i n Water (a) Determination of the solubility of barium sulfamate in water a t 20°, 30", 40°, and 50°C.; inrludes preparation and purification of the barium sulfamate. (b) Screw-capped bottles of approximately 125-ml. oapacity; suitable shaking device for six or eight bottles in a thermostat. (c) Reagent grade sulfamie acid. (d) Good background in quantitative analysis. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
(r) Sister Agnes Ann, Immaculate Heart College, Los
Angeles 2, California. 7. Solubilities of Inorganic Halides (Othe~Than Fluorides) i n Organic Soluents (a) Determination of solubility of lithium bromide in nbutyl alcohol a t o", 25", and 100°C. (b) Constanttemperature bath; screw-capped glass bottles of approximately 100-125 ml. capacity; shaking device. (e) None other than goad grade solvent and solute. (d) One quarter of quantitative analysis or a t least be pmming same. (e) Kirby E. Jackson, University of Alabama, University, Alabama 8. D e t e d n a t i a of the Densities of Various Solutions at Various Tempemtu~es (a) Determination of the densities of solutions of a specific solutein one or more solvents a t various temperatures and concentrations. (6) Analytical balance and pyknometer or blow torch and glass tubing t o make pyknometer. (e) Specified solute and solvents. (d) Freshman chemistry. (e) A. G. Pinkus, Department of Chemistry, Baylor University, Waco, Texas.
ORGANIC PROJECTS 9.
Pwpamtion and Characterization of Diamides from Methylme Bia-(4-phenyl isocyanate) and Alkyl 07 A7211 Bromide9 Throvyh the G ~ i p m dReaction:
+
C H ~ ( ~ N C O 2RMgX ) ~
(Then HCI)
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Condensation of the RMgX compounds of three or four alkyl or aryl bromides with methylene his-(& phenyl isocyanate) and subsequent hydrolysis to the diamide, methylene bie(p-scyl aniline). The purification of the diamidea and determination of physical constants. (b) Two-neck, round-bottomed flasks. (c) Methylene bis-(4phenyl isocyanate), alkyl or aryl bromides, metallic magnesium for Grignard reagents, dry ether. (d) Elementary organic chemistry. (el Roy G. Bossert, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio. 10. Preparation and P~opertiesof Aeylacenaphthenes (a) Preparation and properties of 5-(ptoluy1)-acenaphthene. (b) General organio laboratory equipment. (c) Acenaphthene, p-toluyl chloride, carbon disulfide, hydroxylamine hydrochloride, phenylhydrasine hydrochloride, etc. (d) Organic chemistry. ( e ) Edith J. H. Chu, Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles 27, California. 11. Characterizat;on of Amines as Salts of Ozalic Acid (a) Preparation and crystallization of desired salts and determination of melting paints of these derivatives. (b) Good standard thermometer. (c) Primary amines. (d) Two semesters of organic chemistry and preferably a course in qualitative organic chemistry. (e) Harry Cohen, Roosevelt University, Chicago 5, Illinois. 12. Preparation oj Certain Sehiff Bases and Thek Reduction with Lithium Aluminum Hpdride (a) Synthesis of octadecylbenzylideneamine and reduction to N-oct?decylbeneylamine. (b) Three-neck flask, mechanical stirrer, Claisen flask, and, for most preparations, a vacuum pump. (c) Lithium aluminum hydride. ( d ) Elementary organic chemistry. ( e ) Bertin L. Emling, St. Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania. (a)
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34, NO. 6, KINE, 1957
13. The Reaction of Phenols with ;ielivalcd And Halides
(b) Ordinary laboratory apparatus. (c) A series of phenols and 2,1-dinitroflooroheneene (Eaetman or Matheson). (d) Organic chemistry. (e) John D. Reinheimer, The Callego of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio.
(d) Elementary organic chemistry. (e) Edward Ronwin, Department of Chemistry, Mount St. Mary's College, Los Angelcs 49, California. 15. Characteritation of Hon~olagmrsSeries of Arnines and Hpdrozyarnines as Tetraphenylborates (a) Farm the tetraphonylbornte derivatives of several related sminos and determine their melting points and approximate water solubilities. (b) Reagent grade sodium tetmphen.ylhoron and the amines to he studied. (c) Completion of a course in organic chemistry. (d) W. W. Wendlandt, Texas Technological College, Lobbock, Texas, and A. J. Barnard, Jr., Director, Technical Information, J. T. Baker Chemical Company, Phillipsburg, New Jersey. 16. The Characlwimtion of the Phenols as Their 8,4- and 5,4Diehlorobenroates (a) Preparation of the variou~phenyl esters of 2 , 4 and/or 3,4-dichlorobenzoic arid by esterification of the ohends with the dichlorohensovl chlorides and purification of the esters b , recrystallization. ~ (bi General oreanic lithoratorv eauioment ineludine an ac-
anol, and ethanol. (d) Elementary organic chemistry and a prior or concmrent course in qualitative organic analysis. (e) . . Robert G. Johnson. Xavier University, .. Cincinnati 7, Ohio. l i . Preparation and Chwacteriration of Substituted Diawl Z'hiotrreas (a) Preparation and identification of diary1 thioureas, with a substituent (CI, BY,KO*, CH., OH, etc.), on both or only one phenyl nucleus in different positions ( 0 , m, or PI. (b) General organio laboratory equipment. (. e.) Arvl . amines.. arvl . isothiocvanates, carbon bisnlfide, and common organic solvents. (d) Completion of course ill organic chemistry and quantitative analysis. (e) J. F. Iluck, University of Ssnta Clara, Santa Clara, Cdifarnis.
PHYSICAL PROJECTS 18. Detmination of Refractive Indues. qf Binary Liquid Mixtures at Various Coneenlrations and Vwious Temperatures (a) Determination of refractive indores of dioxane-ethylene glycol solutions of variona roncentrations a t some given temperature. (b) Good refmetometer, eonstanttemperature water bath, circulating pump. ( c ) The liquids to he used. (d) Elementary quantitative analysis and elementarv organic chemistry. (e) R. I. Rush, Centre Collego, Ihnville, Kentucky. l Y . Determination qf the Reliability o j Ideal Laws in Typical Practical Circumstances (a) Determination of the molecular weight of naphthalene from its freezing point depression in benzene a t several concentrations to ohserve departure from ideality as a function of conrentration. (d) Physical chemistry. ( e ) Nathan Yagol, Raosevelt University, Chicago 5, Illinois.
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Chemical Means qf Cleaning lillramicro Pipels ( a ) George F. Hand, State Miet~oscopiealSociety of Illinois, 7512 Olcot,t Avenue, Hemmond, Indiana. 21. Anion-ezchange Conslanls for Thioeyanate Complezes (a) Ihtermine the distribution of a given metal between an anion-exehange resin and an aqueous solution, containing s, constant concentration of the metal (or thiorysmte), and varying concentrations of the thioeyanste (or the metal), when a certain weight of resin i~ shaken with a certain volume of the aqueous solution. ( h ) Shaking machine, flasks with ground glass stoppers, usual quantitative analytical equipment (a rolorimeter is helpful). ( e ) Anion-crrhanpe resin, Ilonex-1, 10&200 mesh, X-10. ( 4 ) Quantitative analysis and, concurrent with research, physical chemistry. ( P ) Y. Marcus, Weizmsnn Instit,ute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
20.
Any teacher having a student interested in partiripating in one of the listed projects should write directly t,o the project dirertor asking for an assignment for the student. The projert director will issue an assignment requiring approximately 50 hours of work for completion (any necessary library research, the laboratory work, and preparation of the report). Usually an assignment will be made to two or more student,^ in
different schools. Each student works under the direction of his own teacher to complete the assignment. When a student has completed an assignment, his teacher sends the student's report to the project director. Each project director sets his own criteria for accepting or rejecting a report; often acceptance is based upon results from two or more students that check each other. Each student whose results are accepted receives a Certificate of Acceptance signed by the president and secretary of Handbook Publishers, Incorporated, which furnishes the certificates; by his teacher; and by the national project director. Suitable data may be selected for publication in the "Handbook of Chemistry." Data obtained on several assignments of a project may be published as an article in a chemical journal with full credit given to all students and schools supplying acceptable results. Any teacher or industrial chemist interested in directing a new project should write to one of the authors; a project is listed under the direction of the first person requesting it. An outline of a project for the 1958-59 school term must be sent to one of the authors by January 10, 1958.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
